Mediators of the relationship between sexual assault and sexual functioning difficulties among college women.

Kelley, Erika L.

doi:10.1037/vio0000073

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Survivors of sexual assault tend to retract from social engagement, especially if accompanied by comorbid depressive symptoms (Nguyen et al, 2017). Survivors also commonly experience social stigma or blame upon endorsing or reporting a sexual assault (Kelley & Gidycz, 2017), which further exacerbates the tendency of survivors to socially withdraw. In fact, as many as 61% of survivors refrain from reaching out to even a single social support (Dworkin, Newton, & Allen, 2018).…”

Section: Interpersonal Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Assault Among Women in College: Immediate and Long-Term Associations With Mental Health, Psychosocial Functioning, and Romantic Relationships

Rothman

Salivar

Roddy

et al. 2019

J Interpers Violence

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The current study sought to examine immediate and long-term consequences of college sexual assault (C-SA) among women with no prior sexual assault history. While much is known regarding the short-term negative impact of C-SA, the current study examines whether C-SA is associated with immediate academic and psychosocial consequences as well as long-term poorer mental health (depression, posttraumatic stress [PTS], anxiety) and interpersonal functioning (relationship quality, sexual and emotional intimacy). In addition, the current study explores potential moderators of these associations, including race, the nature of the assault, resulting injury, relation to perpetrator, and whether the assault was reported. A stratified design was used comparing women who experienced C-SA ( n = 201) to women with no C-SA history (n = 203) controlling for age, education, race, and ethnicity. Results from a series of repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) demonstrated that across race and ethnicity, women with a history of C-SA reported lower grade-point averages, more missed classes, and fewer serious romantic relationships in college following the assault. Furthermore, results from a series of linear and logistic regression revealed that approximately 9 years later, women who experienced C-SA reported greater symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTS as well as lower emotional and sexual intimacy. These associations differed by a number of assault variables (assault type, relation to perpetrator, amount of fear reported, physical injuries sustained, whether the assault was reported, whether medical treatment was sought). The current study further confirms the significant and pervasive impact of C-SA associated with women’s health and functioning, warranting further intervention to both reduce the incidence of C-SA and expand the reach of existing mental health interventions to survivors.

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Section: Interpersonal Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Assault Among Women in College: Immediate and Long-Term Associations With Mental Health, Psychosocial Functioning, and Romantic Relationships

Rothman

Salivar

Roddy

et al. 2019

J Interpers Violence

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show abstract

“…Notably, these two studies examined global assessments of female sexual functioning. It is important to expand on these studies to examine the relationships between ASA and specific domains of female sexual functioning, as sexual functioning is complex, and difficulties in one domain (e.g., desire) may not necessarily correlate with difficulties in other domains (e.g., sexual pain; Basson, 2001; Kelley & Gidycz, 2016; Rosen et al, 2000).…”

Section: Association Between Asa and Sexual Functioning Difficultiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For women with a history of CSA, greater tendencies to avoid interpersonal closeness and emotional involvement were related to greater orgasm difficulties. In a study with a sample of college women, Kelley and Gidycz (2016) found that greater anxiety mediated the relationship between ASA and sexual pain, and a higher Sexual Abuse Trauma Index score (a subscale in the Trauma Symptom Checklist [Briere & Runtz, 1989], which includes PTS symptoms commonly associated with sexual assault) mediated the relationship between ASA and greater orgasm difficulties. A third study found that female patients with a history of sexual assault victimization, who had PTSD, were four times more likely to report sexual problems than women with a history of nonsexual trauma (Haase, Boos, Schöenfeld, & Hoyer, 2009; as cited in O’Driscoll & Flanagan, 2015).…”

Section: Interaction Between Pts Responses and Sexual Functioning Dif...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic stress and sexual functioning difficulties in college women with a history of sexual assault victimization.

Kelley

2019

Psychology of Violence

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Objective: College women are at risk for exposure to sexual victimization, which is a risk factor for posttraumatic stress (PTS) and sexual dysfunction. Contemporary models of female sexual functioning identify the role of distal (e.g., sexual abuse) and proximal (e.g., psychological) variables in contributing to female sexual response. This study examined whether and how PTS symptom clusters are related to specific domains of sexual functioning in a sample of sexually active college women who reported a history of sexual victimization. Method: A nonclinical sample of 108 women, recruited from a midsized university, completed online questionnaires assessing sexual victimization history, PTS symptom clusters (i.e., intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal), and difficulties with sexual functioning (i.e., desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain, and distress). Results: Regression analyses indicated that greater intrusive symptoms were associated with more difficulties with orgasm and higher sexual distress. Conclusion:Results confirm the importance of intrusive PTS symptoms in understanding subjective distress and orgasm difficulties in sexual assault survivors. Possible implications of these findings include the integration of trauma-focused therapy with treatment of sexual dysfunction among women with a history of sexual assault. Future research should examine prospective relationships between sexual assault exposure, PTS response, and female sexual dysfunction.

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“…This definition is broader than legal definitions of sexual assault, because it includes any form of nonconsensual sexual contact irrespective of whether it is penalized by law. Sexual victimization has been established as a risk factor for a range of adverse consequences that undermine survivors’ psychological, physical, and sexual well-being (e.g., Basile et al, 2020 ; Dworkin et al, 2017 ; Kelley & Gidycz, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration in a German University Student Sample

2021

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This study examined the prevalence of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in a sample of 1,172 students (755 female, 417 male) from four universities in Germany. All participants were asked about both victimization by, and perpetration of, sexual aggression since the age of 14 years, using the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S). Prevalence rates were established for different coercive strategies, sexual acts, and victim–perpetrator relationships. Both same-sex and opposite-sex victim–perpetrator constellations were examined. The overall victimization rate was 62.1% for women and 37.5% for men. The overall perpetration rate was 17.7% for men and 9.4% for women. Prevalence rates of both victimization and perpetration were higher for participants who had sexual contacts with both opposite-sex and same-sex partners than for participants with exclusively opposite-sex partners. Significant overlap was found between victim and perpetrator status for men and women as well as for participants with only opposite-sex and both opposite-sex and same-sex partners. A disparity between (higher) victimization and (lower) perpetration reports was found for both men and women, suggesting a general underreporting of perpetration rather than a gendered explanation in terms of social desirability or the perception of consent cues. The findings are placed in the international research literature on the prevalence of sexual aggression before and after the #metoo campaign, and their implications for prevention efforts are discussed.

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Mediators of the relationship between sexual assault and sexual functioning difficulties among college women.

Cited by 20 publications

References 44 publications

Sexual Assault Among Women in College: Immediate and Long-Term Associations With Mental Health, Psychosocial Functioning, and Romantic Relationships

Sexual Assault Among Women in College: Immediate and Long-Term Associations With Mental Health, Psychosocial Functioning, and Romantic Relationships

Posttraumatic stress and sexual functioning difficulties in college women with a history of sexual assault victimization.

Prevalence of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration in a German University Student Sample

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